Flame in the Roses
by Lily Bookmarks
Summary: Lucy Miyako is a longing young teen, wishing to become something she's not. So when presented with the opportunity to do so in the form of saving 13th century England, she realizes it's not all card games and carriages.
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry for being gone so long! The reason I was gone for so long is that I was trying something new where I write the whole story first and submit the chapters in one night. S here's what I've been working on for five or so months.**

So I'm a big fan of Yu-Gi-Oh. While I admit it had its fair share of flaws, I just found it so amazing I ignored them.

Right now, or should I say, before this all happened, I was sitting in bed, watching some guy play Duelist of the Roses on a school licensed iPad. Duelist of the Roses was such a good game. The graphics are amazing and very innovative for its time.

I heard creaking of stairs. Shit, it was my mom. I shut my tablet off and hid under the blankets, pretending to sleep. This usually worked, and it did tonight as well. Once she fell asleep, I continued to watch until I passed out.

How I wish I could become the Rose Duelist...

The next day, I got up as usual. I put on a Dark Magician Girl t shirt, a red long sleeve shirt under that, my glasses, a pair of tan cargo pants, and calf length leather boots. I packed in my bag my art kit, and my iPad. My phone went in one pocket, my deck in the other. A day just like any other.

Except, when I opened the door to my room, I fell. I fell into a hole that should not exist. I don't know how long I fell for, but I passed out at some point. I was shaken awake by a robed figure. I has been lying on a stone platform for who knows how long.

"...summoned from the mystic circle of red and white roses, the one capable of harnessing pure power... There was truth to the legend of the Rose Duelist!"

Wait, what? I looked around. Pillars of granite lay scattered about. The sky was an ugly shade of cloudy purple. And it was cold as frig. I brought my hands to my arms, trying to shield myself from wind that was blowing just hard enough to sap the heat from me.

"Lady Margaret! I...I did it! Now we have the means for defeating the evil forces of Rosenkreuz!"

He stared at me a moment. "Oh...My apologies. In my excitement, I'd forgotten I was in the presence of the Rose Duelist. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Simon McMooran, High Druid and a servant of Lancaster. May I be so bold as to ask the name by which the Rose Duelist would like to be known?"

I blinked, pushed my glasses up my nose, and brushed a strand of blond hair out of my eyes. "Lucy. My name is Lucy."

"Lucy? What a fine name indeed! Now here's the situation. The year is 1485 and you are currently in Stonehenge, near Salisbury, England. The British Empire is in turmoil with the House of Lancaster's rightful claim to the throne being challenged by the Yorkist usurpers. The power struggle is referred to as the War of the Roses, a name based on the badges used by both sides- a red rose for the Lancastrians and a white Rose for the Yorkists. Right now, our kingdom is threatened by the Yorkists and their wrongful claim to the throne. All because the Yorkists enjoy the support of the Rose Crusaders and their sorcerous White Rose Cards. Using our Red Rose cards, we summoned you, Lucy, to this day and age. We hoped that your dueling experience would defeat the Rose Crusaders and lead us to victory."

I nodded slowly, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"You will help us...? Of course you will! Foolish of me to even doubt where your loyalties lie... Rumor has it that only the Rose Duelist stands a chance against the power of Rosenkreuz. We appreciate any help you can provide against them. Before I forget, I should warn you that the rules to dueling differ here from those of your age. Here in England, dueling is governed by what is known as the Perfect Rule. In addition to several minor distinctions..."

I was trying to pay attention, really I was. But my mind tends to wander, and I couldn't help but think we weren't supposed to be here.

"...Lucy!" Simon said, snapping his fingers in front of my face. I jumped. "Have you been listening? You must select a deck. It is important that you feel the vibrations of a Deck Leader, the minute resignations that ring true to your soul. The cards themselves draw their power from the energies of the Ancient Ones. The Deck Leader acts as an intermediate between the Ancient Ones and the deck wielder. Lucy... It is essential that you select a Card Leader whose rhythm matches the stirrings of your soul."

He held out three decks. "Here are several decks to choose from. Give it some serious thought and make your selection."

I looked at all of them. "Not to be rude or anything, but I have my own deck right here." I pulled out my deck. The cards were frayed around the edges and some suffered massive damage because I had accidentally put it through the wash once. Still, I was able to salvage them and I loved them with all my heart.

" I see. Very well then." He put the decks away. And your Deck Leader is?"

"Alector, Sovereign of the Birds." I said, showing him the card. It depicted an armored bird man. "By the way, if I'm right and we're in Yorkist territory, shouldn't we be getting the hell out of here?"

As if on cue, I heard a sickeningly familiar voice. "So that's the effect of the Celtic Red Rose cards..."

It sounded like Brock from Pokemon. But this was Yu-Gi-Oh. So it could only be... I stood up and turned around. Walking up over the hill was the one and only douche himself, Kaiba. And god did his armor look stupid.

"It looks like there's some truth to the rumor that the Red Rose cards are capable if time transformation... It's been some time since the Battle of Barnet, old one..."

"Rosenkreuz! What brings you here?!" Simon spat. I took a defensive position.

"Only a member of the Rose Crusaders may call me by that name. If you may recall, I told you once before that you may only address me as Seto. Or does memory fail you, old man?" He looked at me, and my eyes narrowed.

"And you... You must be the dreaded Rose Duelist. I must admit that there is a certain aura emanating from you. I believe an introduction is in order. I am Seto, leader of the Rose Crusaders. There are members of our little group who prefer to call by the name of C. Rosenkreuz."

"I know who you are." I spat.

"I ask you again... What brings you here, Seto?" Simon interjected.

"Mind your manners, old man! What else would bring me here... I've come for the Red Rose cards! After all, it was you who showed me how the summoning capabilities would evolve when the Red Rose cards are combined with the transport powers of the White Rose cards..."

"You aren't thinking of attempting the forbidden Rose Summoning...if so, then the Red Rose cards must never fall into your evil hands! Card sorcery taps into the powers of the Ancient Ones...by their very nature, each card is a double edged sword that can cut both ways... The Rose Cards alone harness tremendous power. There's no telling what horrors one might unleash to the world by combining both Red and White! I will sacrifice my own life if need be to prevent any from uttering the Spell of Doom!"

"The Spell of Doom...? Fool!" Kaiba spat. "The 16 Rose Cards grant power over all. Druid legend has twisted the true meaning of those cards! We Rose Crusaders have sworn to create a utopia free from the ravages of war. We intend to accomplish this with the power of the cards! And we shall do is by extending the rule if Richard 3 throughout the known world!"

We both stared him down.

"By the way, it was clever of you to form a circle of red roses within the white Rose barrier to summon the Rose Duelist...but you were foolish to come alone. This area is surrounded and if you wish to leave with your life, you will do so only by handing over the Red Rose Cards..."

I looked at Simon. "Me a fool? Then what about you? Are you foolish enough to actually believe the Red Rose Cards would remain here in my possession? Right after the summoning, I had the cards dispersed among our best duelists to keep them from your tainted hands."

"Then you leave me with but one option...I shall enlist the aid of your precious Rose Duelist!"

"You take leave of your senses..." No shit! If he thought I was gonna help him of all people, was HE gonna get a rude awakening. I didn't even listen to him as he made his argument. I knew which side I was vouching for.

"I offer you a choice, Duelist. Here are two roses. The white represents me, and the red for old Simon here..."

I took the roses in hand. After examining the two flowers intently, I made my desicion. I dropped the white Rose to the ground and crushed it under my foot.

"Sorry, Kaiba. I always did like Red better. The color of passion and love...the color that streaks my King's hair...the color of blood as it runs on the battlefield..." I said, sniffing the red rose deeply.

"How disappointing. Oh well. You made your choice, and I respect that. For now." Suddenly, I felt a little bad for crushing the flower. I guess I'll cancel that jab I was gonna make at his armor.

"I will guarantee your safe passage until you've met with Yugi. After all, I don't want our little game to end too quickly... That wouldn't be sporting."

He's letting us go, he's letting us go... Don't be an asshole...

" I look forward to the day we meet again, Duelist! Until then..." And he walked off.

"Frickin douchebag..." I said, pulling a candy cane from one if my bag's side pockets. I don't care if it's the middle of July, I have a thing for candy in any form. I broke off the hook, ate it, and held the rest between my fingers like a cigarette.

"Let's get out of here, Simon. Safe passage isn't gonna wait forever." I said.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The ship ride to Brest went pretty smoothly. At least I couldn't fault Kaiba on his word. I had also put the red rose in my hair.

But I was nervous. Yugi and Yami were both very important people to me. They had helped me through tougher times. The whole cast of Yu-Gi-Oh had. Plus I had a lust after the latter. I was scared to death to actually meet one of them. I had chomped down a candy cane five minutes before we were scheduled to meet out of a nervous habit.

"Lucy, I present Prince Yugi... Last prince of Lancaster, a true Welshman and the hope of we who call ourselves Celts!"

"Simon, I don't know if I can do this. I get really nervous in social situations." I tried to explain.

"Nonsense. My lord, I present Lucy, the Rose Duelist." Suddenly, all eyes were on me. Shit shit shit! What do I say, what do I do?! Remembering one shred of common knowledge, I got on one knee and bowed. At least I could blush and no one would know.

"You serve us well, Simon. My mother was wise on summoning you from Scotland." Oh hot damn that voice! If sex could talk, it would sound like him. It didn't help that there were mysterious invisible saxophones playing sexy music somewhere. I heard wooden chair legs screech across stone and the clopping of shoes. I saw the tips of two black pointed shoes enter my field of vision.

"You honor me sire." Simon replied. The attention shifted back to me.

"Duelist, I am Yugi. Actually, Henry Tudor is my name. But I find it tiresome. You may call me Yugi." Every word sent chills down my spine. I felt a hand force my chin up and I looked him in the eyes. I blushed harder, and my breath hitched in my throat at his touch.

"Rise." He said. I did so.

"I'm sure Simon explained our situation. But it is only right that I request your services myself. I need you to return to England and put an end to the Rose Crusaders. Their White Rose cards form a protective barrier that prevents my armies from setting foot on British soil. Although we Celts have the Red Rose cards, we are but inheritors who are unable to wield their full power. In the hopes of reversing our fortunes, we gambled on a Druid legend that spoke of a Rose Duelist."

I stopped listening as Simon explained how to collect a Rose Card. I was still processing the dead sexy voice reaching my ears.

"I believe it is important that you keep this in mind. The cost of your deck should not exceed the cost of your opponents deck. I would like you to note that our resources gave been pressed to the limit, requiring us to invade England by August. My troops will land in Milford Haven, Wales and March on to meet the enemy at Bosworth Field. Having all the Rose Crusaders out of commission by then would be ideal. But as that might prove difficult, any reduction of their forces would be appreciated." I nodded.

"Right then! Let us part company and reunite in Bosworth. Simon will provide you with the details as to where and when we'll meet once more."

Anything for my king. I'll obliterate anyone in my path. And then I'll win you over...

I was still thinking about him on the way back to England. I could still hear his voice in my head... It must have been noticeable, because I caught more than one stare from Simon and multiple members of the crew. I hope they thought I was sick or something.

Eventually, we landed at Milford Haven. I had actually thought ahead and taken a coat I had found in the castle with me. Simon did a quick debriefing, and I was on my own.

My first destination was Chester. It was a long trek to the middle of England. I had gotten a cost estimate from Simon, he estimated my current deck to be around 850. A good start. I could add some more cards from wins and the card book I kept in my art kit once I win some Rose Cards.

At about noon, I stopped by the path and decided to do inventory. I wanted to know just how long I would last, seeing as my main source of power was sugar and the American dollar wasn't a currency in this time period.

When I finished inventory, I counted up a dozen candy canes, a ziplock bag full of tootsie pops and blowpops, two dozen pieces of saltwater taffy, a few bars of chocolate, and a half dozen of those tiny boxes of Nerds you get on Halloween. At my current rate of consumption, it should last me until Mid august. Right now, it was the second half of July. I had until August to clear the White Rose Duelists. That was two weeks.

I heard rustling in the bushes. I looked up and behind me, crouching over my pack. I scrambled to pack up my food, if you could call it that, and stood.

"Who's there?! Don't dick with me!" I said, slinging my pack over my shoulder. From behind a bush poked out a kid with the ugliest green bowl cut and thick glasses. God damn. It would take ten years for Levi to come along and make that haircut cool again. What was he even wearing? Some ugly pink overcoat? Geez. I'm not one for fashion, but he is hideous.

"Oh it's just a kid. What do you want?" I asked. "And shouldn't you have parents?"

"Kid?! I'll have you know I'm fifteen!" Oh god, his voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard!

"Whatever. Look, do you know the route to Chester? I'm going to battle a Rose Crusader."

"Yeah, you just follow this path, take a right, then-Wait a second! If you're looking for the Rose Crusaders, then you must be the Rose Duelist!"

"What gave you that idea?" I said sarcastically.

"Prepare to face the sting of my insect deck!" Pfft. I didn't have time for Underwood's antics.

"Sorry kid, but unless you're a Rose Crusader, my time is better spent elsewhere." I turned and walked down the path.

"I'm a Rose Crusader! I even have the card to prove it!" I stopped and looked back. Sure enough, he held a White Rose Card in his hands. I sighed. I didn't want to duel Underwood for two major reasons. One, he's a pathological cheat, just like my brother. Second, I wasn't too fond of insects. But he held a Rose Card, therefore, I must duel him.

"Ugh, fiiine!" I groaned. "But pull any tricks, and I'll break your limbs." He paled. I got out my deck.

My deck has little theme to it. It was a mix of everything. But one thing ran through all my basic monsters. My deck was designed around the principle that you will pay for destroying my monsters. If you destroyed my monsters, you either lost life points or a better monster would be summoned in its place.

Of course, my strategy had little meaning in this version of the game. Summoning laws were still in the Duelist Kingdom phase, so I had no idea if sacrifices worked or not. I needed to sacrifice to summon my greatest monster.

Not that I would use him against the likes of Underwood. He's something I would probably save for someone like Kaiba. No, the Interplanetarypurplethorny Dragon would most likely be enough to deal with Underwood, and I had three of them in my deck. They were really easy to summon too.

We both set down our deck masters. His was a big insect.

We drew our hands. Mine consisted of Splendid Venus, Muzurythymn the String Djinn, Maldicion de Dragon, Reptilianne Naga, and Schwarzchild Limit Dragon.

"You can take the first turn." I offered. He sneered, and put down a card. I studied what he did, and I think I got it. You start out with four star counters, and those are used for summoning monsters. For every star a monster uses, you need to spend one star counter to summon it. You got 3 star counters each turn. Since I had skipped my first turn, I had seven star counters now, more than enough to summon Maldicion de Dragon. I put her down in faced down attack position and moved her one space in front of Alector.

"Your move." I said, ending my turn.

"That's it? I overestimated you, Rose Duelist!" Underwood jeered. He put down a monster in face down defense position, moved his deck master, and attacked my Maldicion. I flipped it face up and a battle engaged.

"Maldicion de Dragon?!" Underwood balked.

"Better known as Curse of Dragon in English! Your Basic Insect doesn't stand a chance." I replied. Curse of Dragon fired a ball of black energy at the ant, incinerating it. -300 life points from Underwood. I moved Maldicion forward a bit more and Alector to the left. My plan was to trap him in a corner and just wail on him. He set down one more card, moved it forward, and moved his deck master into the corner.

I put Reptilianne Naga face down. She was weak as balls, but she couldn't be destroyed by battle. I set down the magic cards Remove Trap and Bait Doll, just in case. Actually, let's use Bait Doll now.

"I activate the spell card Bait Doll! I force the activation of one Trap. If it is not the designated time, it is destroyed. Once this card is used, it is sent to my Deck and my Deck is shuffled."

A Negate Attack flipped face up and disappeared. Bait Doll went back to my Deck and I shuffled.

"I end my turn." I looked at Underwood. He had a horrible poker face, and was obviously disgruntled with my maneuvers. My star counters were now at four. Underwood attacked Reptilianne, hoping to cut into my life points. He was blissfully unaware of my Naga's effects as his Hunter Spider sunk its fangs into Reptilianne.

At first he chortled, but once he realized my monster hadn't been destroyed, he panicked.

"What's going on?! That snake should be dead!"

"Tut tut. Reptilianne Naga has two effects. One, she cannot be destroyed by battle. Two, any monster that battles her loses all it's attack points." Reptilianne grinned, and sunk her fangs into the Hunter Spider. It writhed, losing its power.

"My turn!" I said, drawing. Ha ha! Bait Doll again! But I had a different plan in mind this turn.

"I activate Graceful Charity! This lets me draw 3 cards and discard two." I got The Tricky, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Trap Master. I discarded Trap Master and Muzurythymn The String Djinn. I moved Maldicion in for an attack on his Deck Master. -2000 Points for Underwood.

"Turn End." I said. He moved his Deck Master and put a card in between us. Unfortunately, he was still open to his diagonal right.

I drew, and got the card I needed, the Mountain field spell. This would increase my Maldicion's attack by 200 points, but more importantly, he would lose his 500 point field advantage and I could kill him in one shot!

"I activate the Field Spell Mountain! Not only do your monsters lose their field advantage, but my Maldicion gets a 200 point boost! Maldicion de Dragon, attack!"

-2200 points for Underwood, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako

"No! I...I lost?! This can't be happening!" He groaned.

"Believe it. Now hand over your Rose Card." I said. Reluctantly, he did, along with another card, Negate Attack.

"This isn't mine." I said, trying to hand it back.

"Yes it is. Along with a White Rose Card, you get a card from my Graveyard." He grumbled. I raised my eyebrows.

"Whatever." I said. "Thanks for the directions, but I guess I don't need them anymore. Hey, where's Rex stationed?"

"Rex? He was in charge of Tewksbury. It's directly south of here. Just follow the signpost up ahead."

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you." I took off on the path and came across a signpost two hours later. Ten miles to Tewksbury. I could walk ten miles, right?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The answer is no. No I cannot. When I tumbled into Tewksbury at 6 PM, I was about ready to drop dead. While I was walking around looking for an inn, I passed through a marketplace and realized I was hungry. I had no British currency, only some quarters and a 5 dollar note. Would that work here? It couldn't hurt to try...

I walked up to a vegetable stand. I was looking for potatoes. They were a good source of protein, right?

"Excuse me miss? Do you have any potatoes?" I asked. She turned to me, her brown bob cut framing her blue eyes. She seemed... Awfully familiar.

"Fraid not, ma'am." She said, downtrodden.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I said. "What about cabbage?" She looked a bit happier to hear that.

"That we have plenty of!" She said cheerfully, motioning to a few heads. For 5 shillings, I picked out two heads of cabbage and a few carrots. I guess quarters looks very similar to shillings, because she didn't question them. I thanked her and moved along.

Looks like tonight's dinner was salad. I plucked leaves off the first head of cabbage and ate them as I looked for a place to stay. As I was looking at how absolutely vintage everything was, I tripped and dropped my cabbage, sending it rolling down the path.

"My cabbages!" I shrieked, giving chase. I eventually caught up to the head because someone had caught it.

"Thank you mister!" I started, but then I saw who had saved my cabbage.

It was Yugi. Not Henry Tudor Yugi, not Yami, the actual Yugi who looks like he's ten. The one with the beautiful round eyes.

"I-I-I..." I stammered, trying to find the right words to say.

"Miss, are you alright? You look flushed." He said. Shit, I was blushing! I pulled my hood up. And I'm just realising this, but everyone I had met here had varying degrees of British Accents. And Yugi's fit him best, he was SO CUTE, I literally had to fight the urge to squeal.

"Yes I'm fine. But do you know any nearby inns?"

"Why don't you stay with me? My home is just around the corner, it would be no bother at all."

"A-are you sure? I don't want to impose..."

"It will be fine. You seem really sick, and I don't want a lovely lady like you out on the streets on a May night. It's been a really chilly year." He said, taking my free hand and leading me through the streets.

Okay, so this Yugi was a smooth talker. I could deal with that. He led me a block and a half down the street until we reached a little corner store.

"I live in the apartment just above the game shop." He said, leading me through the door. Wiping the counter down was a young man with bushy blond hair and brown eyes.

"Hey Jou!" Yugi greeted. Jou looked up from the counter and gave a confident smile.

"Wow Yugi! You get lucky tonight or what?" He mused. Yugi blushed.

"Very funny, Jou. She's just staying here for the night because the inn's too far away." He let go of my hand. "I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Yes please." I said. I didn't really like tea, but I couldn't say no to those eyes. Yugi dashed up the stairs, leaving me with Jou.

"He really is lucky to have met a gal like you." Jou grinned.

"I'm not a prostitute." I growled.

"I'm not implying that. What I meant is that you seem to have a good head on your shoulders and you seem very motherly."

"We've never met! How can you be so sure of something I don't even know about myself?" He pointed to my arms.

"What, the cabbage?" I asked.

"You hold it just like a baby. You have parenting instincts. Look, I want you to promise me something."

"What?" I asked.

"Before you go tomorrow, will you take Yugi with you?"

"I would be happy to, but may I ask why?" I said.

Jou frowned. "Well, ever since the Yorkists took over Tewksbury, it's been getting really hard to keep him safe. Yugi's parents are MIA because they got in a tussle with the Yorkist forces. They captured all the good Duelists in an effort to suppress rebellion. Yugi may not look it, but he's one of the best Duelists in the town, maybe even in all of England. And the Yorkists want him dead. I've been looking for someone to take him out of town so he can be safe."

I was silent for a moment. "...I'll do more than that. Where do the Yorkists hang out around here?"

"You're not seriously thinking about going after them are you?!"

"I have to. It's the right thing to do." I said.

Jou looked at me, then smiled. "I knew you were the right gal. They hang out in an abandoned warehouse on the other side of town."

"Good. I'll head over there early tomorrow morning, then come back and pick Yugi up. He won't even realize I left."

Just then, Yugi came back with tea. "I hope you like Earl Gray!"

"It's my favorite!" I said, taking a sip. Goddamn it tasted like hot leaf juice! Still, I kept a straight face.

"So you aren't from around here are you? What's your name?" Yugi asked.

"Lucy Miyako. I'm from the United States."

"I've never heard of that place before."

"It's overseas. I've never been to England." I said.

"Your name is a bit of an oddity..." Jou said.

"Well my mom is Japanese and my dad is English, so..." I said, rubbing the back of my head. I didn't like talking about my mom. We didn't...always see eye to eye.

"You couldn't have come at a worse time, though. With the War of the Roses going on, blood is being spilt unnessecarily." Yugi said, downtrodden. I roped an arm around his shoulder.

"We'll make it out, I swear." I said. He smiled. I smiled back, and yawned. "I should get to bed. Big day ahead of me tomorrow. " I said, getting up.

"Me too." Yugi said, also getting up. He showed me to the guest bedroom, and I settled in. I spent the majority of an hour retweaking my deck to take Rex out. He would pay for what he had done.

I set my phone alarm to 4 am. Hopefully, Yugi was a heavy sleeper. I slipped under the covers and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

BEEP BEEP MOTHER[EFF]ER!

I snapped awake and silenced the alarm. It said, [GO KICK DINO ASS]. I love past me.

I gathered up my pack and stuck a lollipop in my mouth. I walked quietly down the stairs, opened the door, and stepped out into the May air. It was actually quite chilly, and there was almost no one on the streets.

I made my way across town and found the warehouse Jou mentioned. I pushed open the heavy wooden doors to find a dark room.

"REX RAPTOR, WHERE THE [EFF] ARE YOU?!" I screeched. I heard scuffling and groaning.

"What the hell do you want?! It's like three in the morning-" he stopped when he saw me. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Batman. Who the [EFF] do you think I am?!" I growled.

"Wait. Are you the Rose Duelist I heard about from Weevil?"

"Postensively." I said. "You're going to pay for what you've done to this town. I want a duel. NOW."

He yawned. "So this is the Rose Duelist. I can't say I'm impressed. No, I'll pulverize you with my dinosaur deck!"

"How about we raise the stakes a bit? The loser has to fulfill one perfect request of the winner."

"Interesting. Weevil didn't mention this in his report. Sure."

We drew our hands and put down our deck leaders. My hand was Madolche Mewfuille, Armed Protector Dragon, Gogogo Golem, The Fiend Megacyber and-

Oh [EFF] yes. My best monster. I needed to wait a few turns to summon it, so I put down Madolche in Facedown attack position and sent it his way. "Turn End."

Rex did the same. I drew. Bait Doll! Spells and traps don't use star counters, so I set it on the other row and started to move that forward as well. Turn End.

Rex did the same. Was he just mimicking me? It didn't matter. I just needed to hold out for one more turn, and I could wipe the floor with this little shit. I moved Madolche forward to attack his monster. It was a Trakadon, shit. I lost 700 life points, but it's effect activated. It went to my deck instead of the graveyard and my deck got shuffled.

"What the hell was that? Are you mad as a hatter over there?" Rex jeered. He moved his monsters closer.

With his turn over, I finally had ten star counters. "I said you would pay Rex. Your judgement day has arrived. I summon The Wicked Dreadroot!"

An eruption of black energy waved over the field. The Wicked Dreadroot climbed its way out of the darkness and stood proudly. It roared over the battlefield, activating its effect. With the exception of itself, all monster's attacks and defense were halved. Since it was a wicked god, spells and traps have no effect on it.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Rex all but screeched.

"This is my god card. If you think this is bad, there's one more monster in my deck even stronger than him. Go Wicked Dreadroot!" I commanded. It moved two spaces and decimated Trakodon, taking a huge chunk of 3400 life points as collateral. Turn End.

Rex did nothing on this turn. I think I broke him. I drew an Embodiment Of Apophis trap. These things were rare and doubled as monsters. I put one down and moved Dreadroot up his row. Turn End.

In a desperate maneuver, he set a Facedown defense monster in front of Dreadroot and engaged. -1350 for Rex, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako.

The Wicked Dreadroot returned to me. "You did well today Dread. Take a nice rest." I whispered. I glared at Rex.

"Wha-What?! Lose?! I don't believe it!"

"Believe it ass wipe. I'll take my White Rose card, a random card from the graveyard, and finally, my reward." I pulled him up by his collar. "I want you to release all the Duelists you've captured here, take your troops out of Tewksbury, and never return. Do you understand me?"

"Okay geez! Here's the key. The cell is on the other side of town." He tossed me a bronze key. I dropped him and walked out of the warehouse.

I walked back to the other side of town and found the warehouse to the key. I unlocked it and let everybody out. Once everyone was evacuated, I walked back to the game shop. Yugi and Jou were waiting for me behind the desk.

"Lucy!" Yugi squeaked, nearly tackling me in a hug. "I thought you ran away!"

"Of course not! I wouldn't go without saying goodbye!" I said, a smile on my face. I looked at Jou, who was also smiling.

"Guys. I got Rex to withdraw his troops. He gave me the key to the holding cell. I already set them free, so your parents should be here any minute. I should also be leaving."

"Lucy, Jou told me what you were going to do. Is it true that I can come with you?" Yugi asked, his eyes wide with pleading.

"Sure. Get your things." I said. Yugi rushed up the stairs. A few minutes later, Yugi came back with a backpack full of things.

And together, we left Tewksbury.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Fifteen miles to Exeter?! Eff off!" I said, annoyed. It didn't help that after this we literally had to cross the island to get to St. Albans. That was a total of 175 miles. It would take a good three days!

"Is that a lot?" Yugi asked.

"Maybe not to you, but where I come from, we have giant metal carriages that can take us long distances in short times." I sighed. "Well we better keep walking."

I don't know how long we walked, but we came to a river. I got a brilliant, yet horrible idea in hindsight.

"I'm taking a bath." I said, shrugging off my pack and jacket.

"Here?!" Yugi balked.

"Well I can't get used to hot water, since we'll rarely have access to it." I said, taking off my shirts. I left my bra and underwear on for decency's sake.

The water was surprisingly clear, I guess because it was a river. The water ran fast, but it was pretty shallow and the bottom was gravel. The water only went up to my waist, and because of that, the water was fairly warm.

I turned to Yugi. "Come on in! The water's fine!"

"But Yugi looked appalled. "I'm fine..."

"Kay, suit yourself!" I smiled. I dunked my scalp underwater and gave it a good scrub. Yugi looked like he had seen something horrible. Did I have leeches on my back or something? What the hell, I thought they didn't live in running water!

After I washed up, I got out of the river and checked myself for leeches. Luckily, I didn't seem to have any this time. I dried myself off with the outside of my coat, and realized I hadn't checked my back.

"Hey Yugi, are there any leeches on my back?" I asked, turning my back to him. He gasped. I looked over my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"They're swollen..." He whispered.

"What's swollen?" I asked. I felt Yugi's fingertips running across the scar tissue of my back, tracing them.

"Lucy, where did you get these?" He asked, afraid. Did he mean my scars?

"I've had them for a long time." I said.

"Don't lie, Lucy. Some of these look very recent." Yugi said. "Such fine stitching... Where did you get your medical treatment?"

"My local doctor...?" I said.

"...Lucy, what happened to you? Why do you have so many haphazardly placed scars!" He asked. He was really concerned about me.

"I'm a domestic abuse victim."

"What?"

"My mother and father got a divorce when I was 9. My dad took my brother as part of his custody. My mother...she became a mean drunk. Once I found her with any sort of alcohol, I had to get out of the house. If I didn't, my back became a canvas that she painted with blood and bruises. It wasn't even the worst when she was drunk, it's when she was hungover. She didn't really like me to begin with, but the alcohol makes it ten times worse. I don't even know where she gets it, I begged all the local drugstores not to sell her any after she cut my back open."

I grabbed my red long sleeve shirt and slipped it back on. "I guess that's why I am the way I am. I need to get stronger so one day I can successfully murder her."

"Your goal is to murder your mother? Seems a bit questionable at best."

"We'll not in a literal sense. What I mean is I need to escape from her and murder her from my memories."

"That doesn't make sense."

I put my tshirt on and pulled on my coat. "Look, she can't hurt me here. We have nothing to worry about. Once I get home, if I ever do, I'm running away and never going back."

I got up. "But that's in my past, not yours. I don't want you to feel bad for me. It'll only bring your spirits down. So don't worry, be happy." I smiled. I picked up my bag and started back on the path.

"Come on! It's only six more miles to Exeter!" I said, waving Yugi on. He still looked sad. We walked on the path for at least three miles in total silence. The sun was starting to set.

"How do you live with her?" He eventually asked.

"Hmm?"

"Your mother. She's been doing this to you for six years, I'm guessing? How did you put up with it?"

"It's not easy, I'll give you that. But I guess... It's because of you."

"Huh?" He asked.

"Where I come from, you're a gaming legend. Not just you, but the entire Lancaster party, as well as some of the Yorkists. Your friendship inspired me, and I guess you could say it's kept me alive this whole time."

"I don't understand."

"Yugi, I'm going to level with you. I'm not from this time period. I'm from the future."

"I know."

"You knew this whole time? How?"

"The stitching on your back is far too advanced for today's medicine. It's otherworldly. And those other cuts don't look like they were made by a blade. They're too messy."

"So now you know the truth. But if that's so, why haven't you abandoned me or something? I'm a lost cause, right?"

"Lucy. Have you ever had a friend?" Yugi asked.

"Not a real one... Not one I could hug at least. You guys are my only friends..." I said, choking on my words. I was breaking down because for the first time, I was getting an idea of how lonely I really was.

"Hey, don't cry. Remember what you told me? Don't worry. Be happy." Yugi said, smiling. "I'm your friend now. And nothing will ever change that."

I sniffed. "That's right. Hot funk, cool punk, even if the dub's junk, it's still Yu-Gi-Oh to me."

"Huh?"

"It's a saying I made up. It means that no matter what happens, you'll always be my friend."

"Lucy..." Yugi said, and pulled me close.

"Look at us. We're less than a mile to Exeter, the sun's set, and we're bawling our eyes out."

"Um, Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"What's that?" Yugi asked, pointing ahead of the road. A human figure shambled along the road.

"Probably some drunk. Do you have a knife?"

"You're not going to kill him are you?"

"Nah, just poke him a little. Drunks don't respond well to pain, so even if I do hurt him, he probably won't feel it."

Yugi dug around in his pack and found a small knife. I took it and approached the figure cautiously.

"Sir, are you okay?" I asked. The figure leered at me, and I jumped. His face was necrotic, pieces of flesh peeling at the eyes. I screamed and slashed at it. To my surprise, it dispersed into the air, as if it was made of gas.

"Illusions..." I murmured. I heard Yugi run up behind me.

"Lucy! I heard you scream, are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. But zombie illusions... I wasn't expecting this. Come on." I said, grabbing Yugi's hand and running.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When we reached Exeter, it was just as I feared. Zombie illusions everywhere.

"Wh-what are those things?" Yugi asked, frightened.

"Zombies. Lucky for us, we can literally wave through them like gas." I said, waving through one.

"Yes you can." A voice resonated through the streets. I actually recognized it.

"Bones? Bones is that you?" I asked, amused.

"Actually, here I'm known as Necromancer. If you want my White Rose Card, come to town square. My Zombie deck hungers for a taste..."

Ok, cryptic. "You heard the boy. Let's find town square."

After about an hour of pointless wandering, we found town square. Bones was waiting for us. I personally had nothing against Bones. I didn't really get to know him in the anime, and what little he did was heavily influenced by Bandit Keith. He actually seemed like kind of a nice guy, if a bit amateurish.

The town square for some reason reminded me of the one from Ocarina of Time. It was relatively small, with a fountain in the center. Mist went up to my shins, and oil street lamps gave the place a beyond the grave look.

"Hey Bones. You wanted a duel?" I said.

"Yep. Rex told me you forced him out of Tewksbury. Just how did you do that?"

"I bet one perfect request. But he would have lost the city holdings anyway."

"Interesting. Do you mind if we play with the same stakes?"

"Sorry, but that was a custom punishment. Besides, you seem like a nice guy. The only reason I imposed that challenge on Rex was because he pissed me off."

"Really? Well then I'm afraid to say I've done the same. Minions, will you bring the prisoner here?" Bones motioned to the darkness. Out shambled two zombies...and Yugi's mom?!

"I caught her snooping around where she didn't belong. I assume you know her?" Okay, [EFF] everything I said about me liking Bones. This son of a bitch was dead!

"Mom!" Yugi shouted, and bolted forward. I grabbed him by the back of the shirt.

"Yugi. Let me handle this. If he wants wrath, he'll get wrath." I stepped forward. "Bastard...let's duel."

We set down our deck masters and drew. Schwarzchild Limit Dragon, Darklon, Maldicion de Dragon, Non Spellcasting Area, and hooooly crap, Number 22: Zombiestein. I was gonna beat this bastard with his own monster type! Wicked Dreadroot may have been my best monster, but Zombiestein was my most powerful. He was also a cheaper summon, with eight stars instead of ten. I put down Darklon and Non Spellcasting Area as a bluff.

Bones did something similar. I drew. Slate Warrior, perfect. I put him face down in defense position and advanced Darklon. Bones threw down another monster and moved his deck leader into a corner. Good. I drew. Gorz, The Emissiary of Darkness. That was good. If Bones destroyed Darklon, I could summon this in its place AND an Emissiary of Darkness Token. Come on you shitty skeleton. TAKE IT.

Bones moved his monster forward and attacked Darklon, destroying it.

"Tut tut voodoo man. When I take damage, I can summon Gorz, The Emissiary Of Darkness from my hand, and because it was battle damage, I can also summon one Emissiary of Darkness Token as well." I moved Gorz up the right side and Token up the left. Bones continued to fiddle with his monsters.

I drew. Rosaria the Stately Fallen Angel. If I could just hold out one more turn I could start decimating him. I flip summoned Slate Warrior, activating its effect. It gained 500 attack and defense. Bones just fiddled with his monsters, moving them out of Gorz's way.

I drew. "Bones, you've done something I will never forgive you for: you hurt my friend. For that, you must pay. I summon Number 22: Zombiestein!"

From the misty depths, a huge monster rose to tower over the entire battlefield. I moved him two spaces forward on his wasteland arena.

"What in Hell is that?!" Bones shrieked.

"This is my wrath incarnate, Bones. Don't try to use Pumking's ability either. As you could guess by his name, Zombiestein is a zombie type. You'd only make him stronger."

Bones did nothing this turn. I think he was paralyzed with fear. I drew. Reptilianne Naga. Sure, I'll put her down. I advanced Zombiestein so he was within a square of Pumking.

In a last ditch effort, Bones put a card in between us since I already had him in a corner. He didn't realize that Gorz was there to ensure that Zombiestein would reach his target. Gorz killed a Skelegon, and I attacked with Zombiestein. -4500 for Bones, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako.

"Wha-What the hell?!" He stuttered. I shot across the battlefield and snatched him by the collar.

"Release her. NOW." I growled.

"And what if I said no?" He grinned.

"How can a corpse say anything?" I countered. His grin was replaced with a look of absolute fear. "Minons! r-Release her!"

The zombies let go of Mrs. Muto, and she ran over to hug her son.

"Mom!" Yugi said. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Me too honey!"

"Mom... I want you to meet Lucy. I'm travelling with her now."

"It's nice to meet you." I said, reaching a hand out to shake hers. She seemed a bit hesitant, but shook it.

"Forgive my hesitation, you're just so intimidating." I raised an eyebrow. I must have forgotten to turn scary off. I let myself relax a little.

"I hope you will be a good traveling companion for my son." She said.

I nodded. "If today was any indication of-" suddenly, things were fading.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" I heard Yugi ask faintly. I barely felt myself fall to the ground.

...

When I woke up, I was in a bed. To my right, a window, which daylight streamed in through. To my left, a sleeping Yugi. He was knelt with his head on the mattress, kinda like Ash in the second episode of Pokemon. I raised an arm and ran my fingers through his hair. It was really soft, like I had imagined it. I wonder if Yami's was just as soft... It had to be, right? They shared a body in canon. So in effect, I was feeling Yami's hair as well.

"Mmm..." Yugi sighed. I smiled. He was having a dream, how sweet!

I heard a turning of the doorknob. I quickly withdrew my hand and placed it next to my side. Mrs. Muto walked in with some sort of hot liquid in a bowl. Probably soup or something.

"Oh good, you're awake. I brought you some stew." She said. Well I was kind of right. Stew is just chunky soup, right?

"Thank you. What happened to me?"

"You passed out from hunger. You can't live your life on vegetables and sweets, you know."

"It's all I can afford right now. I'm sorry." I said. She frowned. I took a bite of the stew. Beef and potatoes, I loved it!

"Here." She said, handing me a small pouch. Inside were an indeterminate amount of shillings.

"I can't take this, ma'am. It's not right." I said. In all actuality, I wanted to take them so bad. But I figured I should refuse.

"Hon, these aren't from me. They're from the people of Exeter. They were so thankful you got rid of Bones, they wanted me to give you this and they chartered you guys a carriage to St. Albans." She said. I blinked, and took the pouch.

"Thank you." I said, and finished up the stew. Yugi stirred.

"I have to go. Lucy, take care of my baby, okay?" Mrs. Muto said.

"Of course." I said. As soon as she left the room, I broke down crying again. That woke Yugi up.

"Mmng... Lucy? Why are you crying?"

"The people of Exeter got us a carriage to St. Albans..." I said, sniffing.

"What? Really?"

"Yep..." I started sobbing again.

"Lucy, this is a good thing! Why are you crying?"

"Because... No one's ever done this kind of thing for me..." I sobbed.

"Lucy..." He sat on the bed and hugged me tightly. I hugged back.

After I pulled myself together, we packed up and walked outside. Turns out we were in some sort of castle in the center of town. The townspeople had even gathered to see us off.

"Everyone, I thank you for your hospitality. Without you, we never would have gotten this far." I said, bowing. I climbed up and into the carriage, taking a seat across from Yugi. I closed the door, and the carriage moved onward.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I don't know how long we rode for, but I used the time to organize and retweak my deck.

"What's the future like?" Yugi asked after a while.

"Hmm?"

"What's it like where you came from?"

"Oh. Well, the environment is pretty bad. There are giant buildings everywhere. And... we have these." I pulled out my phone.

"What is it?"

"It's called a phone. You can communicate with anyone in the world as long as they have a phone too. You can contact them for a verbal conversation or send them text."

"Wow..." Yugi looked even more like a little kid on Christmas than he usually does.

"Yeah. You just push the square button, and..." The phone came on.

"And just input the secret password that only I'm allowed to know..." I put my password in and it took me to the home screen. "Ta da!"

There were no words at this point. Only awe.

"Go ahead. Press an icon." Reluctantly, he leaned forward and pressed the settings button. He jumped when the screen popped up.

"It's fine. You just brought up the settings. There are games, information services, and my personal favorite, music players. To get back to the home screen, you press this square button." I said, and pushed the home button. It was like teaching a grandmother how to use the internet, but much more endearing.

"Unfortunately, these don't last forever. They run on a free roaming source called a battery. Once that runs out of power, the device fails to function." I turned my phone off. "Phones are notorious for having bad battery life. But I have another device with me that's much more efficient."

I pulled out my iPad. "This is a tablet. Its battery lasts a lot longer than a phone, but its larger and unlike a phone, it doesn't make calls. It's made for gaming, and operates the same as a phone." I smirked. "Do you wanna hear what the music of the future sounds like?"

He slowly nodded. I got up and sat next to him.

I pulled out an earbud. "Put this in your ear." He did so. I pulled up the music app and played "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz.

"There are many genres to the future music. Unfortunately, my strict taste and lack of internet means that I can't show you all of it.

"Wow..."

I yawned. "Yeah. This kind of music always puts me to sleep..." And then I fell asleep.

...

Yugi shook me awake. "Lucy, we're here..."

"Huh...? I said, and say up. My neck was sore. It was evening. I gathered up my things and we dismounted.

"Thank you for your services." I said, bowing. The driver tipped his hat and tossed me a whistle.

"That whistle has a little magic in it. Blow on it whenever you're in need, and a miracle just might happen."

With that, he turned around and left.

St. Albans was a pretty big town. With a few shillings from Exeter, I was able to buy some bread and cheese to further stabilize our diet. I packed it away and started nibbling on one of my carrots.

"You know, I never see buildings like these anymore." I said absentmindedly.

"What?" Yugi asked.

"All these buildings look ancient to me because I'm from the future. It's fascinating. Like, we don't have steeples like that in the future." I said, pointing to a church. "Compared to these buildings, the buildings of the future are plain and featureless."

"But you said that the buildings in your time scrape the sky."

"Indeed they do. But many are simple rectangles with a pyramidal top."

"Fascinating." Yugi murmured. We walked aimlessly around town until the sun set.

"Lucy, I have two questions."

"Ask away." I said.

"Where are we gonna sleep?"

"Good question. We passed an inn about two blocks back, we could rest there. Or if all else fails, we could camp outside of town."

"Okay. And why are we here?" Shit. How would he react if I told him I was the Rose Duelist?

"Fate, I suppose. Some force is dragging me across this island, and I want to find out what it is."

"Oh. That's nice." He said.

"You seem tired. We should go back and find that inn."

Well long story short, there was no room at the inn. This adventure just took a turn for the biblical.

"Looks like we're camping tonight. If you get firewood, I can make shelter." Yugi nodded, and went into the nearby woods. I took the knife out of his pack and started cutting branches off of trees. Due to my mother's...habits, I had learned to make shelters by age 13. A nice lean to would be good for tonight.

I don't know how and when, but someone snuck up behind me and put a rag to my face. I screamed and struggled, and in retrospect, it may have been a bad idea. My vision faded out fast, but I heard one thing before collapsing.

"LUCY!"

...

When I woke up again, I was in the lean to. Yugi was sitting by the fire, right in front of the entrance.

"Mmmng... Yugi, what happened?"

"You're the Rose Duelist..." He replied.

"Nnngh...Wgha?"

"The man who almost kidnapped you...he called you the Rose Duelist. I fought him and won, but Lucy, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how you would react, plain and simple. I thought you would abandon me because I could potentially get you killed."

"Lucy, I'm not going to leave you. Why are you so scared of abandonment?" Yugi asked

"Because then I'd be alone again. You had Jou at least. Me? I've never had a friend, much less a boyfriend or a lover. I tell myself I'm an introvert, and that I like being alone. But it's just not the truth." I put my head to my knees. I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard rustling in the leaf floor.

"Lucy...I don't know what you experienced in your time. But I won't treat you the same way your mother did. I promise."

I looked up. I raised my hand and stuck out my pinkie. "You pinkie promise?" He hesitated, not knowing what to do, but reciprocated.

"Pinkie promise." He said. I smiled.

"Geez. Im exhausted. You want some dinner?"

"Sure."

I pulled out the bread, cheese, and the last head of cabbage. I got an idea.

"You wanna see something cool?" I asked. He nodded. I sliced two slices of the bread and slapped a leaf of cabbage and a slice of cheese between them.

"Behold! I have invented the sandwich 300 years early!" I said. "You want one?"

"Sure." I made the same sandwich for Yugi and handed it to him.

"Lucy, this is really good. This is what the food is like in the future?"

"This is only the beginning, my friend. Many foods in the future come packaged so they last longer. We have these iceboxes called fridges that keep food cold, and this box called a microwave that can reheat items within seconds." I started eating.

"The technology in the future sounds amazing!"

"It really is." I said, finishing up my sandwich. "But it comes with a price. When and where I come from, there's a lot of poverty in third world countries, most notably on the African continent. But to those who can regularly get food, it's a paradise of choices."

I yawned. "It's getting late. We should probably go to bed."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. That lean to is pretty small for two people, don't you think?"

"Yeah. But it's like you said. It's been a cold year, so it'll only get colder. Sleeping close will help conserve heat, and if I put my jacket over the entrance, we can sleep apart and still keep warm."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Yugi said, yawning. He crawled into the lean to, and I followed, taking my jacket off and draping it over the entrance. We settled into comfortable sleeping positions.

"Yugi...I want to thank you. I know that I'm not always as confident as I seem, and I'm glad you don't fault me on that."

With that, I drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When I woke up the next morning, it was really cold. When I tried to curl up in a ball, I couldn't. Something was blocking the way. But it was warm, so I drew closer to it. It felt kind of like a tree trunk. But why would a tree trunk be warm? Hell, why would there be a tree trunk in our lean to?

Wait. I opened an eye. Yup. I was holding Yugi around the waist in my sleep. Well this is awkward. I wanted to let go, but my craving for heat forbid me from doing so.

So I just lay there until he stirred. I shook him a little.

"Yugi? Yugi, it's time to get up. It'll take us all day to get to Towton, we should head out now..." I said. He gave a heavy groan and started to sit up.

"Lucy..." He noticed our position, and turned a saturated red. He pulled away from me.

"I'm sorry..." He started.

"It's fine, Yugi. I was the one who latched onto you anyway." I climbed out of the lean to. The fire from last night had long since gone out. I gathered up our things and handed Yugi's pack to him.

"We can just leave the lean to to decompose, since it was made entirely out of organic materials." I said.

We walked north for most of the day, having sporadic conversation. At 6 PM, we reached Towton. I pursued the market there and bought a head of cabbage and a bottle of Chardonnay wine.

"Isn't it a bit hypocritical to drink if you were raised by an alcoholic?" Yugi asked upon my purchase.

"Perhaps. But I know my limits, unlike the bitch I was raised by. We drink when we win the White Rose Cards!" I said, stuffing the bottle in the side pocket of my pack.

"Too bad that day won't come." A cocky voice said from behind us. I stopped and grabbed Yugi's hand. I looked behind me. Sure enough, it was Bandit Keith. He looked a lot more intimidating in real life, I'll give him that. But he was still a cocky moron.

"Ah. You must be the Rose Crusader in charge of Towton. I can't say I'm surprised." I said.

""What's that supposed to mean?" He sneered.

"Nothing. In America." I said. "Now I was told to duel you. I believe you'll find my credits in order."I said, opening my coat. In an inside pocket were the four Rose Cards Yugi and I had won.

"So you managed to defeat a few minor duelists...well let's see how well you fare against my machine deck!" He said.

"Really, In America? We're just gonna duel in the marketplace? Okay, fine, whatever." I said, shrugged, and plopped down in the middle of the dirt path.

I drew my first hand. Wattpheasant, Threatening Roar, Embodiment of Apophis, Spirit of the Harp, and Fencing Fire Ferret. I set down Wattpheasant, Threatening Roar, and EoA and sent them around. Hopefully Keith would take to one of my traps instead of Wattpheasant.

Keith laid down a monster and sent it into the labyrinth. I drew. Labyrinth Wall? Not what I was expecting, but great! I didn't have enough Star Counters to summon it, though... I didn't have enough Counters to summon any of my monsters. I moved all my cards forward a square and ended my turn.

Keith summoned another monster and sent it around the left flank. I drew. Waboku. I sent that around with Wattpheasant. I put down Spirit of the Harp to protect Alector and ended my turn.

Keith summoned another monster and moved his cards a little. As much as I wanted to underestimate him, I wouldn't allow myself to.

I drew. One of now 2 Curse of Dragons. This would come in handy later, but for now, I summoned the Fencing Fire Ferret. I moved it up and sent it along with Wattpheasant. Kieth just fiddled with his current robots. I drew. Reptilianne Naga. It would be nice if I could draw one of my trump monsters, the field was getting incredibly crowded. Plus, by next turn, I could summon even Wicked Dreadroot. EoA came to its first opponent, a Pendulum Machine. I activated Threatening Roar, preventing its attack.

"You bitch." He growled.

I smirked. "In America." I drew. Hell yes! Number 22: Zombiestein. I summoned him in the same row Threatening Roar just was, and due to terrain advantage, he was a whopping 5000 attack! I moved it two spaces forward.

"Holy shit! What the hell is that?!" He yelled.

"This is my strength incarnate. In America." I replied.

"Okay seriously, what is that?"

"What's what? In America."

"That! The 'In America' shit."

"Oh. Where I come from, your descendant says 'In America' after every sentence because he's so jingoistic."

"But that makes no sense! What even is America?"

I chuckled. "You could say its a land that lies beyond the edge of the world." With this cryptic information, Keith did little with his cards. I drew. Marshmallon, a good defense monster. I set him to the right of Alector, and moved Zombiestein up two more spaces. Keith fiddled with his cards desperately. I drew. Slate Warrior. I sent him behind Zombiestein, who would now take his first victim. Up flipped the card and-

SHIT IT WAS BARREL DRAGON! Shit, not Spirit of the Harp! You little cluster[EFF]! Zombiestein, kick his ass! -800 for Keith.

Keith was in a panic right now, even if he didn't want to show it. Desperate, he moved his deck leader away, but forgot to put a card between us. I drew. Bio Mage. I moved Zombiestein over and took out the rest of his life points. -5000 for Keith, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako.

"What the hell was that shit?! I can't believe you beat me! Me, the Card Professor of the Rose Crusaders!"

"Believe it! In America!" I cheered, fist pumping. "Gimme that Rose Card, baby!" He reluctantly handed it over, along with Barrel Dragon.

"Oh cool. I forgot about this." I said. I took Yugi's hand and we walked away.

"So that's how you duel..." Yugi said.

"Yep. I'm not really that good actually, I don't know how I've made it this far."

"Not good? The card games must be even more complicated in your world than here. You worked magic out there!"

"You think so?"

"I know so!" Yugi said. I smiled.

"You really are a godsend, Yugi." I said. He smiled.

We were able to find an inn with availability this time.

"One night for two, please." I asked. The clerk looked at us and smiled.

"Oh, honeymoon couple?" I felt my face heat up. I took a glance at Yugi, who was also blushing.

"No, just two travelers." I replied. I paid for the room and she gave us the key.

"Enjoy your honeymoon!" She called to us as we left. I face palmed, still blushing.

To be honest, when I opened the hotel room, I expected our beds to be a pile of hay. They actually looked a lot like mattresses from our time. So that was convenient. I had noticed throughout my journey, that the present seemed to intertwine with 1845, most often with clothing. Henry had been wearing a cape and a very bondage looking leather vest when we had first met, my coat had fake fur rimming its openings, crops were about the same size as the present, and now the mattresses were modern? I want complaining or anything, especially when the covering on the mattress was velvet, but still.

That also brought up a crucial problem: there was only one bed. It wasn't a real problem for me, but I could tell that Yugi was kind of uncomfortable with the prospect of sharing a bed with someone of opposite gender.

"I can take the floor if you want." I said, setting my pack next to the bed.

"Lucy, I can't do that to you. You take the bed."

"I couldn't do that to you either. How about we flip a coin? Winner gets the bed."

"Sounds fine to me." He said. I pulled out a shilling.

"Call it." I said.

"Heads." I tossed the coin. You're never gonna believe what happened next. It managed to find its way into a duvet in the wood floor and landed ON ITS SIDE. Yugi and I both looked at each other.

And that's how I ended up spending a night in the same bed as my favorite anime character. To be honest, I was ecstatic. But I kept my excitement under wraps so I wouldn't be creepy.

It was a quiet night. We didn't have any conversations, just kind of lay there awkwardly and every once in a while one of us would shift positions. I drifted off facing the wall, hugging my pillow so I wouldn't latch on to Yugi in my sleep.

...

Fire. There was fire everywhere. I couldn't even see any land. It was scary, all this fire. Why was I scared? I had never been scared of fire before.

I looked up, and saw Yugi on the edge of the flames.

"Yugi? Yugi, get away from there! You'll hurt yourself!" I said, getting up. But I couldn't walk forward. My legs wouldn't allow it.

Yugi reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a card. He threw it to the center of the circle. A green light, one that was sickeningly familiar in shade, filled the circle. Some sort of hexagram...

OH SHIT.

"No! Don't be a dick, dream world! You KNOW I HATE this dream!" I shouted at the sky. I turned my attention to Yugi, who was walking into the flames.

"NO, YUGI! STOP IT! STOP BEING-" a bolt of pain shot through my arm. I screamed and fell to the ground. I looked back up, and saw Yami standing in front of me now.

The Seal of Orichalcos blazed on his forehead.

...

My eyes shot open. I was still holding my pillow in a death grip. I was drenched in sweat and I felt flushed. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Daylight poured through the window. I looked over at Yugi, who was looking at me, concerned. He also had a bit of a blush going on, which was weird.

"Lucy... Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah...just a dream." I said. I got out of bed and put my boots on. "We should get going." I grabbed our packs and we checked out. Our next stop was Newcastle. We had our breakfast of bread and cheese sandwiches on the go.

Yugi was unusually quiet today. I tried to start conversations, but he shut them down with misdirection and curt answers. I eventually got fed up with this.

"Okay, spill." I said.

"Huh?"

"Something's bugging you. I want to know what, and if applicable, who to punch." Yugi put his hands up and sweat dropped.

"It-it's nothing like that! It's just that last night... You were really vocal."

"Vocal? What do you mean?"

"You were moaning, screaming even. You were also struggling a lot..." His blush came back. Oh my god, he thinks I had an erotic dream.

"You were saying my name over and over..." And about him! This was kind of embarrassing.

"And I just wanted to know...was it one of those dreams?"

"Look, Yugi. You're my best friend. I would never think of you in such a way." I said.

"Oh... Then why...?" he asked.

"I had a nightmare that you left me." I said. "I know that you said you would never abandon me, but my subconscious still hasn't gotten used to it. I'm sorry for causing you concern."

Still...what was that dream about? It was nowhere near Season 4. Sure, Dartz was probably active, he had been in Season 5. I hope we don't run into him...

...

"...That bring the bare nessecities of life!" I sang. I was passing the time by singing songs. It had been a longer trek to Newcastle than I thought. The sun was setting, but we had less than a mile to Newcastle.

"What are you singing?" Yugi asked.

"The Bare Necessities by Phil Harris. Really explains our situation now." I said, the Newcastle town line coming into view.

"I think we should camp tonight." I said.

"Okay. Same deal as last time?" Yugi asked.

"Sure." I said, grabbing the knife out of his pack. We picked a spot and I started cutting down branches. After about an hour, we had a roaring fire and a lean to. We chatted for what felt like hours and went to bed. I fell asleep happy for once in my life.

Too bad that wouldn't last.

...

When I woke up, Yugi wasn't next to me. Huh. Maybe he got up early. I got up and looked outside the tent. He wasn't there. I panicked. Where'd he go? He wouldn't go somewhere without telling me right?

That's when I noticed an unburnt piece of paper in the burnt out fire pit. I scooped it up and adjusted my glasses. Middle English, pretty easy to translate.

"If 't be true thee ever wanteth to see thy Rose Duelist again, cometh to Newcastle Castle."

A ransom note. They took Yugi. I crumpled it and stuffed it in my pocket.

The rest of the day was kind of a blur. I don't remember what exactly happened, I might not have even been conscious for it, but next thing I knew, I was sitting at a duel table. Some bald guy with an L inked into his forehead was across from me looking absolutely mortified. Zombiestein and Dreadroot were pushing the opposing deck master into a corner, various monsters were at impasses with each other, the battlefield was chaos. He had 1000 life points left. Yugi was chained to the floor behind us, looking just as shocked.

"Huh..." I said. I guess I'll make my move then. "Wicked Dreadroot, attack!" -4000 points for L, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako.

"How could this have happened?! You possess extraordinary power for a woman!" L shrieked.

"Don't fricking play the sexism card. Where's the key to those shackles?" I asked.

"I won't give it to you! My master needs the Rose Duelist!"

"Then why didn't you kidnap me?" I said. His mouth went agape.

"He's not-"

"No. Yugi is not the Rose Duelist." I walked around the table and hefted him up by the collar. "I am." The key, White Rose card, and a Labyrinth Tank card fell out of his coat. I scooped them up and used the key on Yugi's shackles. I knelt down and hugged him tightly.

"I'll never lose you again." I said.

"Lucy. We need to talk." He said. I pulled away and looked at him oddly. "What is it this time?"

We got up and started to exit the castle. "Lucy, did something snap inside you?"

"What are you talking about?" I looked at the door, which was wide open. "Why are the doors wide open?"

"That's what I'm trying to talk to you about. Lucy, you were a completely different person out there. You were devoid of all compassion and mercy. You played an extraordinary game, twice as good as before, but you scared me."

I frowned. "Really? I don't even remember how I got here. It was all kind of a blur up until the last turn. I just remember being back at the camp reading the ransom note, and next thing I knew, I was here."

"Strange..." Yugi said. "So you has no idea what you were doing?"

"Not really." I said. "But I'm sorry I scared you. And maybe we should get a room next town. Camping doesn't really seem to work that great for us."

Yugi laughed. "Perhaps."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Okay so here's the plan. Lancashire is a three hour walk from here. It's like 9 in the morning right now. We can get to Lancashire by noon, find whomever's in charge, duel them, spend some time around town if we have it, and rent a room for the night. Does that sound like a plan?"

"I guess so, but what if you go Berserk again?" Yugi asked. We had deemed my latest development Berserker Mode due to my behavior during that time.

"It's unlikely. If it was a frequently occurring thing, it would have surely happened before, right?" I reasoned.

"Maybe..." Yugi murmured. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Look, no matter what mode I'm in, I'd never hurt you." I said. "Besides, I remember distinctively being pissed off during my blackout."

"Okay, so it's only when you're mad." Yugi said.

"Not just mad. All three incidents concerned you."

"Three? I thought there was only one incident."

"Not exactly. Before you joined me at Tewksbury, I had a similar incident with the Yorkist forces there. Jou and I were discussing how the good Duelists of the town, which included your parents, had been imprisoned to repress rebellion. And then at Exeter, when Bones had captured your mother, I felt incredible anger surging through me."

"Okay, so this is a recurring thing that's concerning me. But why me?"

"I think its because of my mentality. Since you're my only friend, my subconscious may compel me to protect you at all costs, and when I lose you, I enter Berserker Mode."

"That actually makes sense, considering your background. Your mother abused you, and probably kept you from making friends, much less bringing them home, right?"

I nodded. "Exactly. Even if I had somehow made a friend, there was no way I could bring them home."

"Okay. So in that environment, you couldn't function socially. You were forced to keep your distance from anyone, lest they be hurt by the toxic environment at home. But here, out of your mother's reach, you can finally have the social contact you require to survive. You've made a friend of me, and because of that, you want to protect me from any and all harm that may befall me."

I went silent for a minute, because he just explained my entire psyche. "Yugi, do you want to be a psychologist when you grow up?"

"No, why?" He said.

"Because you would make an awesome one." I said.

We talked for another two hours afterwards, and reached Lancashire at noon.

"Well here we are. Lancashire. You want some lunch? I can't duel on an empty stomach." I said. He nodded. I got out the last of the bread and cut in half, putting a slice of cabbage and the last piece of cheese between it. I handed it to Yugi, and took the two last carrots and ate them.

"We definitely need to resupply after this duel." I said. We were halfway down our last head of cabbage. I took that out and started to eat that as well.

"Where do you think the one in charge of Lancashire is?" Yugi asked.

"Probably the person in that castle in the middle of town." I said, pointing to said castle. "We should go check it out."

We reached the castle and I opened the door with a loud creak.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" I said. My voice echoed off the walls. We walked inside, and the doors shut behind us. That was more like it. I gripped Yugi's hand and pressed forward.

We came to an open room with a staircase on either side. The chandelier above us lit up. In the middle was a duel table, and sitting on the far end was none other than Pegasus. Oh dear.

"Wow! So you're the famed Rose Duelist?" He asked. His voice sounded just as camp as I remembered it.

"Yeah that's me." I said.

"I am Pegasus Crawford, champion of the northlands, the Nobelist of the Yorkists, and master of the Rose Crusaders! I am also known as Thomas Stanely or Lord Stanely to my friends."

I gave Yugi a quick side glance, as if to say, "Can you believe this guy?"

"Seto has told me all about you, dear Duelist...he's taught me a thing or two about dueling. So come on! Let's duel!"

"Here we go again, I guess." I said, taking a seat. Fortunately, I had anticipated a tough fight and retweaked my deck a little in hopes of having a slight advantage. So let's see what I draw... Spirit of the Harp, Slate Warrior, Fencing Fire Ferret, Reese the Ice Mistress, and Fallen Angel of Roses. As for the field, my side had some grass, some sea, and what looked like two drawbridges of normal field going into a mess of Toon field.

Reese would be useful, she could only be destroyed by battle with a level 3 or lower monster. I set her on the drawbridge. If I didn't pull anything useful next turn, I could set down SotH next to Alector to protect him, or on the other drawbridge to block a path.

Pegasus didn't summon a monster this turn, but he did deal 1000 damage to me with a magic card. I drew. Agujero Oscuro. Dark Hole in English. This could come in handy later. I decided to put SotH on the drawbridge, move Reese in and end my turn.

Pegasus put down a card and ended his turn. I drew. Bait Doll. Another card that would come in handy later. I sent Fencing Fire Ferret around with Reese in case things went awry.

Pegasus fusioned something and ended his turn. That was not a good sign. I drew. Trap Hole. I set that down so I could activate it later. I set Slate Warrior down and ended my turn.

Pegasus fiddled with his cards a little, nothing major. I drew. Gorz the Emissiary of Darkness. What would be a good strategy for going about this? What had that guy I was watching at home said about this battle? I racked my brain for the answers.

"Regardless of the field disadvantage, the best way to go about this is to storm in, guns blazing."

Alright, Scope, if that's what you recommend.

"My name's not Scope."

Well yeah, I know. But since I don't know your real name, I have nothing else to call you by. I moved the attack row forward, preparing to fan out.

Pegasus put down a card and activated the Magic Neutralizing Force Field. Good thing my magic cards were still in my hand, they might have been toast. I drew. Labyrinth Wall. I set it next to Alector to defend him. I advanced my monsters and ended my turn.

Pegasus laid down a monster and went to attack Reese. Tough shit man, you attacked with Manga Ryu Ran.

"What? Why didn't it work?!" He exclaimed.

"Reese the Ice Mistress can only be destroyed by battle with a level three or lower monster. It seems we have reached an impasse concerning her and Ryu Ran." Pegasus grit his teeth.

I drew. Mystical Space Typhoon. Yet another card that would come in handy later. I put down Dark Hole, Trap Hole, and Typhoon down, and selected Bait Doll for activation.

"I activate the spell card Bait Doll. Force the activation of one face down trap card. If the timing of the card is incorrect, negate and destroy it. Once this card is used it is shuffled back into the deck."

Mesmeric Control flipped up and destroyed itself. I shuffled the deck, advanced my monsters, and ended my turn. Pegasus summoned something and ended his turn.

I drew. Maldicion de Dragon. Let's send that around with the others. I advanced my monsters and ended the turn. Pegasus fiddled with his cards and summoned something.

I drew. Mirage Dragon. That's nice. My game here was to just swamp him and hope for the best. So far I think it was working. I advanced my monsters and ended the turn.

...

Goddamn this battle lasted forever. It took time, effort, and a lot of bodies, but I had finally backed Pegasus into a corner with Dreadroot.

"Wicked Dreadroot, attack!" I said. -2700 for Pegasus, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako. I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding, and fell back into the chair, exhausted. Holy shit, how long had this taken? We had started at one, now it was... 3 PM?! That duel lasted two frickin hours! I took out a lollipop and shoved it in my cheek because I needed a frickin sugar shot after that.

"You must be joking! Me, lose? Never!" He said. "You might just be more than a match for Seto. I really enjoyed that. I learned a lot from you. You've done wonders for my game."

I gave him a haggard thumbs up.

"Oh by the way, I don't have any Rose Cards. Sorry."

"Dude, I don't even care anymore." I said, getting up. "I'm leaving. Come on, Yugi. "

I went to walk away and fell. My legs were asleep!

"Lucy! Are you okay?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. My legs are just asleep." I said, getting up shakily and stomping my feet on the ground.

Once my legs were sorted out, we went to the market. For twelve shillings we bought two cabbages, a loaf of bread, more cheese, and five carrots.

"There we go." I said. "Good as new."

"Where's our next stop?" Yugi asked.

"If I remember correctly, Isle of Man."

"Isle of Man? But that's an island. How are we going to get there?"

"Hmm. Maybe there's a ferry or something." I said. Either way, we have plenty of food, let's just take it slow for now." I said. Yugi nodded.

And slow did we take it. But it only took us two hours to get to a young Liverpool.

"Damn, there's no ferry. Maybe we can take a rowboat?" I said.

"It would be unwise. The waters of these parts are notorious for being choppy. We wouldn't survive."

"Okay, maybe we can stow away on a ship?" I suggested.

"That won't be nessecary." A voice behind me said. I turned around to see a familiar woman in a familiar cream cape dress.

"Ishizu? Is that you?" I asked.

"I go by Ishtar, actually. But my first name is Ishizu."

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I was told to battle you, Rose Duelist." She said, pointing to the White Rose Badge that fastened the cape part of her dress together.

"Ishizu! You're a White Rose Crusader?! Since when?!" I joked.

"I don't appreciate the jokes. But I will say I'm amazed that you got to the point where you could challenge me. Too bad that it all has to end here."

"You wish! I didn't come this far to be vanquished here!" I smirked. We drew our hands. Right off the bat I got Wicked Dreadroot, along with XYZ Reception, Slate Warrior, Fencing Fire Ferret, and Mirage Dragon.

The field was a strange one. Not much water, mostly Crush Card field and a little bit of wasteland. Crush Card field was bad. I couldn't put any monster over 1500 on that field, lest it be destroyed. Looks like I was taking the long route around. I set Mirage Dragon down and started sending it eastward.

Ishizu set a card in defense position and ended her turn. I drew. Fallen Angel Of Roses. Not enough Star Counters to summon this round. I set my magic card down and ended my turn.

Ishizu fusioned something and ended her turn. I drew. Agujero Oscuro. Dark Hole. That could come in handy later. I set it next to Alector. I summoned Fencing Fire Ferret and moved him westward.

Ishizu set a card and ended her turn. I drew. Mystical Space Typhoon. I set that and sent Slate Warrior in facedown defense position. I sent it with Mirage Dragon.

Ishizu set a card and ended her turn. This battle was a slow one. But I've seen her work. I couldn't afford to underestimate her. I drew. Trap Hole. I sent that around with Ferret.

Ishizu fusioned something and attacked Slate Warrior. He got his power boost from his flip effect. Her monster destroyed itself. Huh. I didn't take her for a fool. She attacked Fire Ferret, and destroyed it. But it's effect activated. The monster destroyed itself and Ishizu took 500 damage. I drew. Labyrinth Wall. I could summon this to protect Alector, but I could also summon Dreadroot. Hmmm... I decided to play it safe and summoned the wall.

Ishizu summoned something and ended her turn. I drew. Maldicion De Dragon. I was trying to save up Star counters, so I wasn't going to summon anything this turn. I moved my monsters and ended the turn.

Nothing happened on Ishizu's side of the field. I drew. Reese the Ice mistress. Since she was low on attack, I could have her cut across and own the field. I set her on a Crush Card square, moved everyone, and ended my turn.

Ishizu activated the spell Aqua Chorus. It raised the power of all water monsters by 500. Unfortunately for her, it ended up powering up Reese and destroying her Bolt Escargot because it was on a Crush Card square. I drew. Marshmallon. I had waited long enough. I summoned Wicked Dreadroot and sent it westward. I sent Slate Warrior to attack one of her monsters. Mirror Wall flipped up, but didn't activate.

"What?! Why didn't it work?!" She cried.

"With Mirage Dragon on the field, Traps are unable to be activated during the battle phase. And now that I know it's there, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to remove it from the field." Mirror Wall disappeared, leaving Ishizu speechless.

I drew. Vampire Vamp. I advanced my monsters and attacked with them. -4000 for Ishizu, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako.

"Woohoo!" I cried, raising double fists in the air. Ishizu handed me her White Rose Card.

"I'm not surprised, you know. I knew I was destined for defeat. I can live with that." She said.

"Do you know what day it is?" I asked. I had the feeling today was important for some reason.

"Yes. It is the first of August." She replied. My face twisted into an expression of horror.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Yugi asked.

"Today's the day I was supposed to meet the King! But even with a cairrage, we'll never make it in time!"

I sunk to my knees and punched a hand to the docks. "DAMNIT!" I shouted. I felt tears running down my face. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Lucy, what about the whistle?!" Yugi asked.

"What?" I sniffed.

"The whistle that the cairrage driver gave you! Didn't he say a miracle would occur if you used it?"

My eyes widened. I dug around in my pockets and found the whistle.

"Blow as hard as you can!" Yugi shouted. There would be time for Double Entendres later. I took a deep breath and blew into the whistle. A shrill noise erupted from the device. My deck began to glow. Two beams of yellow light erupted from it, and took the forms of Splendid Venus and Alector.

"Whaaaa?" I gaped. Alector grabbed me under the arms, and Splendid Venus did the same to Yugi.

"Wait, what are you-AAAAAAAAAAAH!" I shrieked.

The two ascended into the air and headed south, towards Bosworth Field. I didn't completely understand what was happening, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

About a half an hour later, we started to descend to the field. A familiar group was entering the clearing, a familiar leather clad king leading them.

"My King!" I shouted from above. He looked up, a little shocked with our entrance. Once we touched down, my monsters turned into light and returned to my deck.

"Thanks you guys." I said. I turned to Yami and bowed.

"My King." I said. "I am ready for my next assignment. Alas, we could only obtain seven Rose Cards."

"That is fine. The eighth is in the hands of Richard 3. May I ask what you mean by 'we'?"

"My King, I was not alone in my quest. I have acquired a companion." I motioned to Yugi, who was standing next to me, too dumbfounded to speak.

"My King, this is Yugi. Keeper of my sanity, ruler of my emotions, and my eternal companion." I stood and looked at Yugi. He was still dumbfounded, but he was blushing. Could it be...?

I gave Yugi a light nudge in the back, prompting him to speak.

"I-I'm not really as special as she makes me out to be." He stammered, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I find that hard to believe." Yami smiled, and took Yugi's free hand. With one swift motion, he kissed the top of it, making Yugi go even redder than he already was. Oh my god, my OTP was playing out like I had always dreamed it would!

But back to the point at hand. "So where is old Richie 3?" I asked, looking out onto the field.

"He's in a castle nearby. You should go and duel him before the battle starts."

"Right. Let's go Yugi!" I said. Yugi nodded, and we started for the castle. There was that moment of hesitation where it was kind of an awkward silence, but I broke it.

"So. You and Yami, huh? I teased.

Yugi blushed hard. "What? No, it's not like that!" He stammered.

"Look, we may be two archers that aim at the same target, but I know when to cut my losses."

"What are you talking about?" Yugi asked.

"You like the King."

"What? No! I mean... I would if it wasn't a sin."

"A sin? Since when is love a sin?"

"Not love in general, but me loving a guy. I don't know what it was like in your time, but here it's a sin for a man to love another man."

I paused for a moment. "You're right. It is different here. But think about this. God is supposed to love all his children unconditionally right?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Yami are his children right? So shouldn't he love you regardless of your sexuality?"

"Umm..."

"That's what I believe he wants us to believe. And if it's not what God intends us to believe, he or she can stick it." I said defiantly. Yugi's jaw dropped. I spotted the castle in the distance.

"Come on, tight pants. Rose Card isn't gonna win itself." I said, dragging him by the hand.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

This castle was much grander than the one in Lancashire. The floors were marble, I liked it.

"Listen, Yugi. When he mistakes me for a Rose Crusader, don't correct him. We want him to think this."

"Why?" He asked.

"Just trust me." I said, opening the door. The rooms were still just as dark, which pissed me off. The castle was surprisingly empty, and the doors didn't close behind us.

The foyer lit up, revealing a duel table. Sitting on the far end was an ugly man who I could only assume was King Richard 3.

"Hello." I said. A gusty draft blew in from somewhere, blowing one of the Rose Cards from my pocket. I was quick to grab and re pocket it.

"I see you have Rose Cards. You must be one of Lord Crawford's Rose Crusaders! Your timing couldn't be better. When I heard Yugi had landed, I rushed my troops to the front. However, I arrived much too early. It will be A long time before Lord Crawford's men arrive. Until then, why don't we play a duel or two?"

"Sure..." I said, sitting down in the provided chair. I drew my hand, and boy was it a doozy. Mystical Space Typhoon, Battlin Boxer Veil, Amarylease, Spirit of the Harp, and Wicked Dreadroot. I was particularly interested in Amarylease. Amarylease was essentially a Cost Down card. When sent to the graveyard, I could banish it once per turn to summon a monster for one less tribute. In this version, however, it cut the level of a monster by half. And with only 100 attack and 200 defense, getting it destroyed was gonna be easy. I set it down in defense mode, along with Space Typhoon and ended my turn.

Slysheen summoned something and ended his turn. I drew. Yomi Ship. I moved Amarylease forward and ended my turn.

Slysheen summoned something and attacked Amarylease. It went to the graveyard. Now was my chance.

"I activate Amarylease's effect. I halve the Star Counters of my monsters in order to summon

it now." I put Wicked Dreadroot Facedown. There was nothing to do now but slowly advance.

Slysheen summoned something and ended his turn. I drew. Fencing Fire Ferret. I should probably set up a contingency plan on case this failed. I summoned SotH in front of Alector, advanced Dreadroot, and ended my turn.

The battle went on for a few more turns, but I inevitably defeated him. It was really easy too. Like stupid easy. So stupidly easy that he moved between two of my monsters and that's how he lost. THIS was the great King of England?!

"Drat! I lost! Well what do you expect from a beginner? Don't let it bother you. The important thing is how I preform on the battlefield. And with the support of Lord Crawford and the Rose Crusaders, England will be ours for the taking!"

"I wonder about that." I muttered. I heard heels clicking against stone.

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy sire!" A very camp voice echoed through the halls. Pegasus?

"Who? What?!" Slysheen said. I stayed where I was and put my head down. I knew what lines came next, and I wanted to be dramatic. Pegasus walked up within feet of the duel table.

"Lord Crawford. It's about time. And what exactly are you talking about, may I ask?"

"I fear that aside from Seto, all of the Rose Crusaders have fallen to the Rose Duelist. They were beaten by the very person you just had the pleasure of dueling. Sire, I present to you the Rose Duelist!"

I lifted my head and unleashed a wicked grin. "Hey. Sup."

Richard just gaped and made some sort of squeaking noise.

"And may I add that I've decided to join Yugi in his bid for power!"

A louder squeaking noise from the fallen King.

"My duel with Lucy taught me the true meaning of power. She may even be more powerful than Seto and the Rose Crusaders. That would mean that Yugi is likely to succeed in landing his troops. With the greatest Duelist backing the Lancastrians, the Yorkists will be defeated. I would be a fool not to back the winning horse!"

Okay, back up for a second. I defeated Pegasus using almost everything except cheating. The only reason I was able to defeat him is that I got both Zombiestein and Dreadroot, my two strongest monsters, out on the field for the first time in forever. So basically, I used almost exclusively raw power. That's not the true meaning of power!

Whatever. He was backing me, I shouldn't complain.

"And what of your hostage son, Crawford?" Richard countered.

"You wouldn't touch a hair on his head if both you and your troops are defeated!" From outside, I could hear marching.

"Oh my! It looks like Yugi and his troops have arrived. It's show time!" Pegasus declared. I got up and took Yugi by the hand. We ran thought the halls as I looked desperately.

"Lucy! Where are we going?!" Yugi asked.

"Looking for the armory. They've got to have swords and shit there." I said.

"Lucy, I can't run this fast!" Yugi said. He was stumbling behind me.

"Then I'll have to carry you!" I said, and before Yugi could protest, I pulled him in front of me, grabbed him by the waist, and hoisted him over my shoulder.

"So this is the product of six years of abuse..." I heard him whisper.

"Don't worry about me. Ah ha!" I said, finding the door to the Armory. I flung it open and set Yugi down. Rows of armor and racks of weapons lined the walls. I looked around, trying to find something even a little sword proof.

I opened wardrobe after wardrobe, but the only armor sizes I could find were too big for Yugi. At least, until I got to a chest.

"Finally, the minus sized armor!" I said, lifting a helmet out of the chest. "Yugi, put this on."

"What? Why?" He asked.

"This is the final battle. It's gonna be chaos out there. If you get killed, I will never forgive myself." I said, shoving the helmet on his head, then taking it back off so he could put the chain mail breastplate on.

But as I took the armor out of the chest, it became apparent that there was a trapdoor in the bottom of the chest. No way...

"Yugi! Over here!" I motioned. I opened the trapdoor to reveal a secret passage.

"Oh cool! I've always heard of these but we never had any back in Tewksbury!"

"Secret passages, am I right?" I said, and held out a hand for a high five. He looked at me oddly.

"Never mind. You go first, wait for me at the bottom." I said, and looked around a little more. I wonder if there was a light sword I could 'borrow'.

"Oh sweet!" I said, picking up a couple of cutlasses and flipping them around. "Now I won't have to borrow Yugi's knife anymore!" I ran over to the last wardrobe and opened it. Inside was a golden chest piece. It looked...familiar. I put it on and climbed down the ladder into the passage.

"Well there's air flowing through it, so there must be an exit." Yugi said. The path was very long and lit with a few torches along the way. I grabbed one and carried it with us as we walked through the dark, dank tunnel. We could hear footsteps and swords clashing above us as the battle raged on.

I heard crumbling, and pulled Yugi back.

"Wait what are you..." He started.

"Shhhhh..." I cut him off. I looked around slowly. Dust and dirt drifted down from the ceiling. It caved in and sunlight streamed in from above. When the dust cleared, an unidentifiable soldier coughed to make himself known. I just stared in fear.

"Lucy? What're ya doin here?" I recognized that dialect.

"Jou? Is that you?" I asked. The soldier removed his helmet, revealing a familiar puffy haired blonde.

"My name's not Jou. It's Joey. But yea, it's me."

"Hi Joey!" I grinned, and waved. "You need a boost? That's a pretty steep cliff."

"Sure." He said. I clasped my two hands in a stirrup shape and crouched. He stepped in my hand and I lifted. He was a lot heavier in a suit of armor.

"Thanks!" He said, and gave a small salute. I replicated the action. I grabbed Yugi's wrist and led him around the debris and we continued along the tunnel.

After walking a while longer, we found stairs that led up.

"This must be the exit." I said, and started up the stairs. Sure enough, there was a door at the end of the stairs. Light poured into the tunnel when I opened it. We were just outside the clearing.

"Damnit! I should be out there, fighting for my king! But I can't leave you and you're NOT going with me." I said. Wait. What about the whistle? It had summoned monsters to the material plane before. Maybe I could use it to summon an army of monsters and turn the tide of the battle?

It was worth a shot. I took out the whistle, three cards for my album, and two cards from my deck. Ma'at, Sphinx Teleia, Meteor Black Dragon, Interplanetarypurplethorny Dragon, and The Wicked Dreadroot. I blew the whistle. The cards glowed an intense white and shot beams of light into the sky.

When the brightness subsided, there stood the five selected monsters. And goddamn they were huge. I stood at a measly five foot three, sure, but Dreadroot was taller than most of the trees surrounding us, and Ma'at was almost a giant among men. Hell, Teleia was as tall as a normal man, and she stood on four legs.

"Friends! Today we are faced with the greatest threat England has faced since the Romans! Yorkist forces are threatening to snuff out the good Lancastrian forces and the fair king Henry Tudor! As a Lancastrian Supporter, I cannot allow this to happen! So I ask of you- no, plead for your assistance! Will you help me?"

The monsters roared in approval. I smiled.

"Then charge!" I yelled. Everyone did so except Teleia. I could hear the screams of the Yorkists forces.

"Teleia? Why have you not joined the charge?" I asked.

"Because I am your steed." She said, kneeling. I looked at Yugi, who looked back.

"Alright." I said, climbing on. Yugi sat behind me. "Chaaaarge!" I yelled again. Teleia took off in a blaze of speed and jumped into the air.

"This is amaaaaazing!" I yelled, and Yugi clung onto my waist for dear life, screaming. I flung my two cutlasses out to each side, clunking two Yorkists upside their helmeted heads. I spotted a wild mess of yellow.

"There!" I screamed. Teleia bounded over, creating a clearing wherever she stepped. The scene before me was Slysheen facing off against Jou. I got off of Teleia.

"Teleia. Take Yugi to safety, guard him with your life and don't stop for anyone!" I shouted over the yells and the clatters of swords. She nodded and bounded off. I turned to Slysheen.

"I believe I'm the one you want." I said. I looked at Jou. " My friend. I hate to butt in, but you've got a full life ahead of you. Don't risk it on him. I'll take him on in your place."

"As if I'm going to let you take this guy on by yourself. You may be a great Duelist, but swords fighting is an entirely different prospect. We take him on together." He said.

I smiled, and glanced back at Slysheen. "He may have two swords, but between yours and my cutlasses, we have three. He can't block all of them at once. You take the front, I'll sneak around the back and stab him."

He nodded. Let's just say my plan worked a little too well. Our victim ended up with a slit throat and stab wounds. It was probably a bad idea to try to climb on his back because he had hit me in the forehead with his blade and it was now gushing blood.

The entire battle ended soon after, thanks to my monsters. The Yorkist forces were defeated, and left behind a very odd looking crown of England, which I picked up.

"We did it..." I murmured. The crown was splattered with blood from where I had touched it. I rushed over to where the survivors of the battle had gathered.

"Pegasus. I think there is a coronation to be held." I said, handing him the crown.

"Indeed." He said. Yami knelt, and I stood back. Yugi stood next to me, and Teleia sat behind both of us. All the other monsters I had summoned had gone back into my deck.

"Actually Lucy, why don't you do it?" Pegasus said.

I balked. "Me? But I don't know what to say!"

"You retrieved the crown, you must crown the king. It doesn't matter what you say." He said, handing the crown back to me. I gulped, and slowly approached Yami. I looked back at Yugi, who gave me a thumbs up. I took a deep breath and started.

"Lo here, this long usurped royalty from the temples of this wretch have I pluck'd off to grace thy brows withal. Wear it, use it, and make much of it. " I said. I knelt as Yami rose, as did everyone else.

"My thanks to you, Lucy. Without your help, this victory would not be ours. Earning the respect of Lord Crawford and enlisting his aid ensured the fall of Richard 3. I cannot thank you enough."

I blushed a little. "You flatter me."

"I owe you my thanks as well for I would have hated to be on the losing side." Pegasus said. Yeah...

"But there is one thing I don't get. Where's Seto? I haven't seen him since the beginning of this adventure." I said.

"My thoughts exactly. Pegasus, where is Seto?" Yami asked.

"Knowing him, probably Stonehenge."

"I see. I hate to admit it, but we don't have power enough to take out a Duelist of that level. I must ask you a favor once again... Face the evil threat and end him once and for all!"

Well I was going to point out that we have an army and we could just fight him with swords and shit, but never question the king. So I agreed, on one condition. When we get back, I wanted a video of him saying something encouraging to me. Though he questioned what a video was, he ultimately agreed. And so Yugi and I set out for Stonehenge.

It really wasn't that far of a walk, just a couple of hours. But when we got there, shit was going down. The sky was an ugly purple again, the wind was howling, and admiral frickboy was waiting for me in the centre of the ruins.

"You're here much sooner than I expected. I knew that Crawford would turn on us eventually. But I didn't expect the tide of the battle to turn so soon. Actually, Crawford's betrayal and the fall of the Yorkists matter not to me. All I hoped for from this tireless struggle was to find an opponent worthy of my attention. When I knew you would be summoned, I waited. Each time a member of my Rose Crusaders fell before you, I shivered in anticipation. Once you beat the last member, I knew you were ready to face me. Long have I starved to best a Duelist of equal power to me, hungered for-"

"OKAY STOP IT!" I shouted. 'It's getting weird and I need an adult. No wait, scratch that! Let's duel!" Goddamn admiral jackass!

And so the epic battle began. I drew my hand. Remove Trap, Giant Trap Hole, Non Spellcasting Area, Trap Master, and Wicked Dreadroot. I essentially set my whole hand except Dreadroot down and ended my turn. He set down two cards and ended his turn. I drew. This duel was a bit different. We were always required to have five cards in our hand. So I got Amarylease, Mystical Space Typhoon, Bio Mage, and Spirit of the Harp. I set Amarylease and Space Typhoon, moved my cards, and ended my turn. Kaiba set another card and flipped up Lord of Dragons. That could be a problem. When in face up defense position dragons are immune to the opponents spells. But on the other hand, it was only 700/600, which means it would be easy enough to kill in its current state.

If I could just get Amarylease killed, I could summon Dreadroot on the following turn. There was a Facedown card near it, maybe it was a Blue Eyes? Knowing Kaiba it HAD to be a Blue Eyes. The guy had three of them. Truth be told, he could only have two to play, since his Deck Leader counted for one as well, and you can only have up to three of a card in a deck. I ended my turn.

He lay down a card and attacked Amarylease. Sure enough, it WAS a Blue Eyes. Since it was in defense mode, no points were lost.

"When Amarylease is sent to the graveyard, once per turn I can cut the stars of a monster in half to summon it." I lay down the Wicked Dreadroot card right in front of the Blue Eyes. The next step would be to get Zombiestein out here on the next turn. But for now, my turn is gone.

Kaiba moved in to attack Dreadroot. Boy did he get a surprise. Blue Eyes 1 was destroyed, and a whopping 3000 points of collateral damage was dished out.

"What?! What on Earth is that?!" He all but shrieked. "Why did I take so much damage?!"

"This is the Wicked Dreadroot, an evil god. With the exception of itself, all monsters on the field lose half their attack. Spells and traps have no effect on it." I explained. I saw Kaiba turn a whole new shade of white. I ended my turn.

He set down another card, probably a second Blue Eyes, and ended his turn. I drew. Mirage Dragon. That was even better than Zombiestein. I set him down and sent Dreadroot after the Facedown card. Turns out it WAS the second Blue Eyes. -3000 points, end game. Victor: Lucy Miyako.

That was actually pretty easy. I expected much harder of a time. I took a step back.

"Well done, Duelist. I may have lost, but my heart sings with the joy of having faced you in battle. 'Twas a great battle to be remembered. I take great pride to fall by your hand."

"Sure whatever. Will you leave us alone now? You're really creepy, to be honest." I said. Hey, I had gotten the Rose Card, I've earned my right to be a bitch to him.

"And if you believe that, I'll sell you swampland in the outer reaches of the realm! A duel to be remembered indeed, at least that much is true! For thanks to you, I have completed Rose Summoning Ritual!"

Oh come the frick on! We were pawns?! That's it, first chance I get I'm kicking him in the balls so hard they puncture his stomach!

"All I needed was for the Rose Cards to be all in one place, and for a catalyst, a powerful duel! Now the Card Guardian shall rise, and ensure my rule for centuries to come!"

The earth began to shake, and Lightning struck the center of Stonehenge. I fell backwards, and hit my head on a rock. Everything went black.

...

"...Lucy..."

Huh? Everything around me was still black, save for a blinding light that shone from above me like a spotlight. A figure eclipsed the light.

"The time has come for you to awaken." The voice cooed. The light engulfed the area until I couldn't see anything.

...

"Lucy!" I could hear Yugi calling my name frantically. I opened my eyes lazily.

"Oh thank God! I thought you were dead!" He was crying. I put my hand on the back of his head and rubbed it.

"Hon, it'll take more than a knock to this thick skull to kill me." I said, tapping my knuckles against the top of my head and immediately regretting it. "So what happened? Did I go Berserk again?"

"Yes, but this time, it was different. You may have unlocked a new level of Berserk or something. You beat the Guardian in seven turns and shoved a sword down his throat for good measure. Then you just passed out like you had never woken up. You weren't breathing, so I thought you were dead."

I sat up. "Well. It seems like I've made quite the mess. But no matter. Where is my pack?" I asked.

Yami pulled my pack from behind one of the pillars. "Is this what you mean?"

"Yes! Thank you." I said. I unzipped my pack and pulled out the bottle of Chardonnay I had purchased in Towton and had mysteriously not been crushed by the events since.

"This calls for a celebration! A celebration of our new King!" I shouted, holding the bottle high above my head. The soldiers who were there with us cheered.

...

Soon, camp was set up around Stonehenge. The sound of drunken cheering, flickering bonfires, and the thick smell of cooked meat filled the air. Tents littered the grass, and I was in one of them, writing a letter to Yami.

"Dear Yami,

I know what I'm about to say is cryptic, and even convoluted. But there are some things you must know to ensure your people's population. Some of these I do not know how to stop. But if you trust me and do as these instructions say, tragedies that can be prevented will be prevented. For the others, this letter serves as a mere warning. Pass this on to your heirs as if it were a great treasure.

-Diversify the potato crop. 400 years from now, a virus will emerge and decimate the potato crop, causing famine and resulting in over 1 million deaths, especially in Ireland. The only way to stop it is to cultivate a diverse range of potatoes and hope one of them is resistant to the virus.

-One of your descendants, Henry VIII, is going to be a little crazy about getting a male heir. So crazy he'll go through seven (or eight, I can't remember which) wives trying to get one, and when he finally does get one, the heir will die a child. You might want to set a law or suggestion that females can take the throne if needed.

-Be wary of plagues. Remember to burn dead bodies to prevent spreading.

"One more -"

I heard the sheets on the tent spreading. I looked up and saw Yugi in the entrance. He seemed a little different, clumsier. Then I noticed an entire bottle of wine in his hand, half empty. He stumbled over to me, and in the candlelight I could see that his face was completely flushed.

"Okay before you say anything, you've had enough wine for tonight. A young lad like you doesn't need to die of alcohol poisoning." I said, wrenching the bottle from his hand. He said nothing, but made a saddened look at me and whined a little.

"Nope. No more." I responded, taking a swig. Ech, a bitter variety. But it had a nice aftertaste, so I took another swig and continued to write my letter.

"Sit." I said. He responded by dropping to his knees and slamming his head on the small table I was writing on, making everything on the table jump six inches. Good thing I was writing with a modern pen and not a ink well. I went back to writing.

"-thing. Yugi has feelings for you. Whether or not it may be right for a man to love another man, it is different in my time period than yours. But he's a sweet-"

I felt two arms throw themselves around my shoulders and Yugi shove himself on my back. I took another swig of wine and placed it far away from him.

"-young man, and I would strongly recommend considering him as a spouse.

Goodbye, Yami and Yugi. Know that I love you both.

Warmest regards,

Lucy Miyako, the Rose Duelist."

I capped my pen, put it in my art kit, put my art kit back in my backpack, got out a Caramello bar, and ate one section from it. Yugi moaned drunkenly, trying to reach for the bottle. I took the bottle and poured the rest of the wine out on the ground. He let out a high pitched whine.

"Last call's at one, but for you it's now!" I said. He made the most adorable pouting face. I shook free from his grip and crawled over to the sleeping pads.

"Look Yugi! These blankets are so lonely without you, come cuddle them!" I said, patting the blanket. I blew the candle out and got under the blankets. I felt him get under the covers with me and wrap his hands around my waist. Whatever. He was probably an affectionate drunk.

As I drifted off to sleep, the wine helping, I could feel him nuzzling between my shoulder blades. As long as he didn't throw up on me, I would be okay.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When I woke up that next morning, I felt legs around my waist. I opened my eyes a little wider. Yugi was nuzzled into my chest, trying to use my boobs for a pillow. Trying being the keyword. I was only an A cup, there wasn't much to use, and what was there was really firm and not pillowlike at all.

Regardless of the facts, he was adorable and I didn't want to disturb him. I reached over to my bag and found my phone. Perhaps it was weird to take a photo of this kind of situation. But I needed something to remember him by, and this was going to be one of them. In fact, the whole day today was going to be about memory making. Pictures will be taken, videos recorded, the whole shebang.

The camera went snap. Yugi stirred.I put the phone back and nudged him a little.

"Yugi wake up. Your crushing my ribs." I said. He lazily opened his eyes. A moment of realization passed, and he turned a saturated red. His nose was even bleeding and he was speechless.

"It's fine. You were some drunk last night. I had to take an entire bottle of wine away from you." I said, motioning to the discarded bottle.

"Wait you're not mad at me?" He said, clutching his head in why I assume was hangover pain.

"Why would I be mad? We didn't do anything regretful." I said, sitting up. I think I had slept on a big rock or something, my back was killing me. I rubbed a tendon and groaned.

"Today's the big day, huh?" He said. I nodded. Today was the day I go back to my time. I was supposed to go this afternoon. I had to get that video of Yami. I wonder if he was awake yet.

I grabbed my phone, my backpack, and letter and got out of the tent. Sure enough, he was nearby. The smell of the meat was gone, the bonfire long out. Many were still asleep.

"Good morning Yami." I greeted. He turned around and nodded.

"Good morning Lucy. You're up early."

"Yes well, I guess I couldn't sleep." I said. "You know, I never got that video."

"Ah yes. So what do I do? You mentioned something about a 'phone'?

"Yes. I'll back up and tell you when it's rolling." I said. I took a couple steps back and pushed the recording button. "Okay go."

Yami cleared his throat. "So I just say something encouraging?"

"Yep." I said.

"Okay. Lucy. I you're viewing this, you may have been dealt a bad hand in life. Perhaps you're in an unfamiliar place or life just isn't treating you right. But you are the Rose Duelist. You freed England from the tyranny of the Yorkists. You have come this far. Don't give up now. Every day is a second chance. Just because something isn't happening for you now doesn't mean it will never happen. You may not control the events that happen to you, but you can choose not to be reduced by them. Don't change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will like you. You only have a tiny spark of madness. You musn't lose it. Lucy, you've been in worse situations than the current one. I know you can power through this and demolish blockades. I believe in you, so says Henry Tudor, King of England.

Is that good? Are we good?"

I shakily pushed the button again. Shakily because I going to cry of missing him.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Ima go get Yugi so we can have a picture or two together." I said. I went back to the tent and opened the flap. I saw Yugi look up from the bed.

"Come on, I want to take pictures of us together." I said. He rubbed his eyes and groaned a little but complied. He followed me out to where Yami was.

"So what is this called again?" Yugi asked.

"It's called a picture. This device takes instantaneous images that are hyper realistic. So first Yami alone..." I snapped a picture of Yami looking regal.

"Then Yugi..." I snapped a pic of him being playful.

"Now both..." The two got together. Yami put his hand around Yugi's waist and vice versa. I snapped the picture.

"Now all three! Say cheese!" I backed between them and held the phone in front of us. I snapped the picture.

"Guys, the pictures came out great. I can't thank you two enough for what you two did for me." I said.

"What are friends for?" Yugi said.

"It's only fitting of a King to help his peers." Yami said.

"To thank you for what you've done, I would like you to have this." I said, handing Yami the letter. "Don't open it till I'm gone."

"Why?" He asked.

"It's for the best." I said. I saw lightning strike the center of Stonehenge out of the corner of my eye.

"And speaking of best, I think the ritual is ready." I said, walking up the hill. A blue, iridescent portal shone before me. I took one last look at my two favorite people in the world. Tears streamed from my eyes and a lump formed in my throat.

"Lucy, do you have to go?" Yugi asked, he himself crying.

"Fraid so. But remember this. You only have one tiny spark of madness. You musn't lose it." And before I could start to regret what I was doing, I let myself fall backwards into the portal.

It felt like I was in a wind tunnel. Blue lights glowed all around me. I closed my eyes, crying, letting my tears stream down my face. I didn't want to leave. But I didn't belong in this time zone.

I felt something hard hit my head, and everything went black.

...

When I woke up, I was face up in a bed. A canopy bed. Usually, I would be overjoyed by this because I love canopy beds.

BUT I DID NOT OWN A CANOPY BED.

I shot up, and my head felt heavier than usual. I ran my fingers through my hair, and it seemed... Volumous. I don't wear hairspray, and it wasn't clotting like hairspray does.

No.

NO.

I tore away the soft veil to reveal the rest of the room. I was completely made out of stone, with a distinct color pallets of red, yellow, blue, black, and white. A large balcony branched out. I ran out to see the view. A palace. A FRICKING PALACE OVERLOOKING A DESERT TOWN.

I had to get out. But it was cold in the desert at night. My pack and a burlap cloak were sitting on a dresser near the bed. I put on the pack and then the cloak, fastening it around my neck with a gold clasp. I pulled the hood over my head and walked out the door to my room.

Goddamn where was the gate? The palace couldn't be this fricking big could it? So far I had passed through every room except the throne hall and the gates. I was currently in a beautiful garden. It was ok in here, so I took my cloak and pack off because the pack was chafing. I checked through my pack to see if everything was still there. Art Kit, candy, deck, phone, tablet. Yep, still there. I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned to stare at my reflection I a pool of water.

I was Atem. No I'm not kidding. Poof hair with all the improbable highlights, my boobs were gone, my skin was an Arabian tan, everything. I wasn't wearing a shirt, just the man skirt and Millennium Puzzle.

What. WHAT?!


End file.
